Alabama tornadoes: FEMA money repays funeral expenses

As thousands of Alabamians request government help for property damage they suffered in April's storms, hundreds are seeking a special type of aid for the most grievous losses of all.

More than 300 people have registered for reimbursement of funeral expenses for loved ones who perished as a result of the violent storms, said Judith Johnson, a leader in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "other needs assistance" program.

That is more registrations than the 241 deaths recorded in official fatality reports from the storms. Johnson said some individuals may have filed in connection with deceased family members who are not included in the official total, and they could receive assistance if a doctor, coroner or medical examiner's report establishes the death was caused by the storms.

But, she said, the higher number could also reflect mistakes made in online applications and duplicate requests being made on behalf of the same victim.

As of Wednesday morning, 84 applications had been rejected, often because they were filed by family members who were not actually responsible for paying for the funeral, Johnson said. But 113 of the applications had been approved for funeral expenses involving 151 storm victims, she said.

The total amount approved as of Wednesday was just more than $790,450, she said. Close to 80 percent of the approved dollars already have been paid to surviving family members.

The average benefit so far -- about $5,235 -- is less than the maximum possible assistance for a funeral. The top sum, $8,800, was set by the state of Alabama, which pays 25 percent of the cost, Johnson said.

The difference is partly because other sources for meeting funeral costs -- burial policies, Social Security or private donations -- are deducted from the amount of assistance provided, Johnson said. Also, families cannot get more in aid than they pay for a funeral.

"Ours is based on expenditure," Johnson said. "It's a reimbursement, not a grant."

Some expenses, such as for flowers and headstones, are not reimbursed at all, Johnson said. Money can go for caskets and burial plots, as well as costs charged for embalming, cremation or opening and closing a grave, according to FEMA's website.

To get the benefit, an applicant must show proof he is legally the victim's next of kin. The application also must provide proof such as a death certificate; documentation from a doctor, coroner or medical examiner that the death was caused by the storms; a funeral home receipt; and confirmation that the expenses were not covered by other sources, FEMA's website says.